Name: Felpata_Lupin (Signed) · Date: 26 Mar 2023 03:16 PM · For: ace of spades

Hello, Kris, my dear! Here for the review event! Congratulations on your Inkys nom(s)! <3

Kris and best slow burn are such an unusual combo, and I've heard great things about this, plus there's something special about Eddie/Chrissy, so you know I had to stop by here... and, well, I'm so happy I did! <3 <3 <3

It was surprising how Eddie could make her feel so comfortable, so safe despite them not really knowing each other, not even talking to each other since middle school, how he somehow managed to see through the walls she'd built up around herself, so high no one else had come close to knocking them down, and he'd been able to make her laugh, with him, never at him, and he would always make her day brighter. Aww, this line! It just filled me with so much warmth, it's just so tender and I love it so much? The laughing with him, never at him, bit just feels so special, I don't know, you can just tell how deep and genuine their bond is! <3

And I love how you play with the line between friendship and something different here. The way Chrissy is looking at him in this new (or maybe not so new) light, and she's telling herself that she shouldn't be, and how she's scared of crossing that line, of breaking something in doing so, but in the end she just can't not do it... and how Eddie is pulled to her but keeping the distance at first at the same time, but not because he doesn't feel that way, just because he cares for her too much and if they go down that path, he wants it to last, but he doesn't know if he's able to make it last... aww, isn't he such a dork? <3

As always, you have the best descriptions! I love the way you convey the atmosphere of the concert, the loud music, the exchange of glances, and that moment of intimity later... all of it, it's brilliant! I'm personally not a fan of metal myself, but like Chrissy I can get the appeal of it, and I think you convey the power of music so well here, and the feeling of getting lost in it. I love that so much! <3

This was a real joy to read! Thank you so much for writing and sharing! <3

Big snowball hug, and congratulations again!

Chiara

Name: Pixileanin (Signed) · Date: 24 Dec 2022 09:00 PM · For: ace of spades

 

Hi there! It's time for some winter gifting, and though I read this a while ago, I neglected to leave my thoughts. 

 

First off, I am a huge fan of Stranger Things and have recently binged the whole thing and I am so excited by how thoroughly you have captured the distinct voices of these two characters! We all know it didn't get to go down like this for these two, and it's gratifying to see them get a slice of what might have been if they'd survived. 

 

The juxtaposition of the characters here is so great, with Chrissy's outward appearance of a straight-laced cheerleader being into metal and Eddie's devil-may-care stage presence being a front for his deeply caring nature. You brought out their true personalities so definitively, and it was fun to see them both in that is-this-real-yes-it-is-we're-really-doing-this vibe. And I love that Eddie is present enough to voice it the way he does, and his names of endearment are so in character too. 

 

All the chemistry built up so steadily that it was one of those inevitable yet oh so satisfying endings!

 

Pix

 

Name: Crimson Quill (Signed) · Date: 06 Dec 2022 11:38 AM · For: ace of spades

 

hi!

 

here for some winter gifting!

 

I love this so much! I thought their scene in stranger things were brilliant and they has so much chemistry. I'm so glad that people like you are around to give an insight what they could have been. you explore such beautiful complicated relationships in a lot of your fics but this pairing as you mention is pure sunshine and you captured that so well here.

 

eddie and crissy's differences are surface level, a lot of them anyway as people have their demons includes these two. I love how you use the imagery of crissy turning up at his concert in this white shirt amongst all the black. that's the contrast in that. getting her out of her comfort zone to pursue eddie more. you've also created such a wonderful friends to lovers arch here. the way she thinks about it comes across so clearly, so realistic and so damn cute! I'm here to root for them so hard here. i love how you expanded their bond in this AU version. it feels really real.

 

I think you kept really true to their characters, i love the vulnerability of eddie in this piece. he's not willing to cross that bridge if it's not for more than 'one time' thing which just shows he's feeling about her and what they already have. they've both very tender in this moment which is perfectly played. I thought the dialogue for eddie was really good as well. both their characterization was amazing! you've perfectly mixed their chemistry to make this both sweet and sizzling at the same! xD

 

Abbi xx

 

Name: prideofprewett (Signed) · Date: 24 Aug 2022 10:37 AM · For: ace of spades

Hi Kris, here for your review request! I am familiar with Stranger Things, so I am very excited to read this! :)

 

I'm glad this takes place after certain sad things that happen with them in canon. Thank goodness Eddie could save her in this (that part in the show made me very sad, ngl). And I can picture Chrissy so clearly in this opening. Her cute smile and her half wave and her getting into Eddie's music. It's adorable and instantly peaked my interest. 

 

The way you describe everything in this entire piece is magnificent. You bring focus to so many small details that they slowly build up the larger picture and it's all very nicely done. Some instances that really struck me were all the little things Eddie was doing on stage (and his hair hah, I mean it's iconic in itself and deserves recognition for all the ways you mention it ;)) and then like that small moment where he's holding the backstage door open for her and she brushes past him...these things all lend themselves to being able to see the larger picture of the scene. And as a reader, I felt transported in the middle of everything because of how well you describe everything. I also felt like the blend between introspection and outside action was well done throughout this. 

 

From a dialogue perspective, I think you really captured both of their voices really well. The stumbling over words thing and the discussing things that feel larger than the current conversation...like they do in the canon drug deal scene...yeah, it feels very THEM. 

 

I liked that it got smutty and you really played up the Chrissy Cunningham, cheerleader with a dark edge, and Eddie Munson, metalhead who is secretly a softie. It really is a great dynamic and the show could've really gone places with them. But since they didn't I'm glad we have writers like you to give us what canon could not. I also loved that this ends in a way where we can expect more Chrissy/Eddie from you because they both want it so much. Yay!

 

And you asked specifically about your ability to do fluff, and yeah, you can do fluff. So shhh...tell those lying parts of your brain to stop lying to you. These two sweethearts are a little misfit-y in their own way and therefore, bringing them together and making them soft for each other is just adorable. You do all of that quite well! :) 

 

<3 Courtney

Name: quill2parchment (Signed) · Date: 14 Aug 2022 02:51 AM · For: ace of spades

Hiiii! Here for our swap <3

I love these two so much & I was really excited about the fact that you'd written something on them. This was just everything my soul needed at the moment. 

You've caputured them both so well. Chrissy is such a cinammon bun, and I love how sweet and sunshine-y she is here but mostly I love that she's breaking the rules and sneaking off in the middle of the night and falling hard for this boy who's covered in tattoos and into metal music. Also, loved that she's like, I'm not sure if you're feeling this too, but I'm going to flirt with you hard, and Eddie's just there, like, umm what's happening? am I dreaming? 

Their chemistry was just off the charts. It was the perfect mixture of hormone-driven lust with true mutual romantic feelings for one another. The way she teases him at the beginning. The way he's smirking towards the end. The but she doesn't care, it just turns her on more, knowing she's letting go in front of him, letting him devastate her, It's all just perfection. 

Absolutely adored this. Honestly couldn't get enough of this. I'd love reading some more hellcheer from you. <3

Love, Quilly. 

Name: dreamshadow (Signed) · Date: 13 Aug 2022 04:00 PM · For: ace of spades

kris! i'm here for our swap :]

so i admittedly know nothing about stranger things, but what i love about your writing is that it doesn't really matter. you capture these characters in such a way and bring the context in that i didn't need to know anything about the fandom, and there's something really beautiful about that. both chrissy and eddie have such distinctive voices here, and i could practically hear eddie's voice in my head, especially whenever he called her sunshine or darlin'

the buildup and the chemistry in this is absolutely off the charts; not surprising from you, but i loved that we started with chrissy watching and listening to eddie play, and we can kind of get the buildup that we need in her head. that they've been toeing the line for friendship for a while, that there's some invisible string pulling between them and one of them is eventually going to crack. and the fact that chrissy sneaks out to go and watch him play and listen to music that she normally wouldn't, just for him - it really does say somethign about their relationship and their characters as well

they're clearly so different from each other, and i really liked the stark constrast of chrissy wearing white in a sea of black and leather; and then, of course, someone has to knock into her and spill a drink all over her - honestly, brilliant move on your part because it really helps build the tension between the two. in the beginning, you're kind of left wondering if it's all just one sided but then we see her go backstage and he's clearly still looking, and it's very obvious that it's not just one sided, at least to us

but i loved the hesitation between the two of them, the pure want and almost need and desire building, like they don't believe it's really happening between them and they don't want to fuck up their friendship. but eddie was really sweet, hesitating and making sure it wasn't just a one time thing because he cares too much for chrissy - and my heart ached for him a little when he said that it was almost always that way for him, the poor guy. i'm glad she reassured him that she wanted it for more than a night, and we stan a man who continuously asks for consent even as he's finally crossed the line between them

the chemsitry and heat between them built up so well that it was so satisfying when they finally kissed - i was genuinely worried for a moment that they weren't going to, but i'm glad they finally did and let themselves realize how into each other they actually are, and the end absolutely didn't disappoint

this was such an enjoyable read and i'd absolutely read more of these two from you. loved this

 

<3 <3 

Name: Aphoride (Signed) · Date: 13 Aug 2022 02:10 PM · For: ace of spades

krisssssssss i'm here!!! i was so so excited to read this because you sounded so excited about writing it, and there's always something wonderful about things people write when they're really, really excited, yk?? plus, you and fluff is a much, much better combination than i think you realise ;) <3 

 

ahhhhhh i love this - i knew i would, but STILL it's worth repeating :P this is such a beautifully fluffy, sweet, almost-nervous kind of story, for all its set in a bar - somewhere dark and kinda grungy and full of sound and heavy, furious metal music and i really, really love how you combine all these things to make somethign so uniquely and so obviously yours, yk?? it's a real skill and i just love it. 

 

i don't know anything about stranger things - but even if it was of there's something addictive about these two: about the way they're so different on the surface, her a cheerleader, him seemingly part of a completely different set, but they've been drawn together by events and music - and they've developed this really strong, really intense, really quiet kind of friendship and i lovelovelove that. (i also gotta say, i love how you set up the friendship aspect of it first and how emphasised that is in this - because it sets up the whole nervousness for chrissy and eddie later on, that there's so much hesitation about crossing that line because of their friendship and how much it means to them - and there's something so true to life about that, especially when you don't have many friends to begin with and so much of that really, really resonated with me) 

 

chrissy is just so real and so realistic and there were so many things in her that felt so familiar: how she knows that she sort of crossed the line when she sneaked out of her house and went to the gig, how she wants eddie to be surprised and notice her, how she's then kinda nervous and a bit stunned when he does, how she still isn't sure if it actually is her he's looking at or if it's just her ego, how she's so hesitation to breach their friendship by asking for something more because it's one of a few and something really precious to her. i love how ultimately, she was brave enough to cross it first - and then he sort of pulled her all the way over :P 

 

the way you wrote all of this was so descriptive and so beautiful and so full - like, every scene felt almost alive, it was so clear in my head with everything that was happening and how chrissy was feeling and you just swept me along with her and her story and i lovelovelove that - it was so so good and ughhhhh i would love to write something as all-encompassing as this, honestly :heart_eyes: 

 

it's funny because this is a fairly long one-shot but it really, really didn't feel long at all once i started reading it - it literally just swept me away and i just kept reading paragraph after paragraph without stopping haha

 

i'm not sure if this is really a very good review, haha, i feel like i've repeated myself a LOT in this but yk, it's such a great one-shot honestly - so so so good. it's the kind of one-shot that makes me regret the awards are in april because they seem so far away and something this good would deserve to win something. 

 

loved. it. more in this universe with these two??? 

 

laura xx